This interactive diagram shows as the same structure (for example a renal corpuscle) is seen in the types of microscopes used in Histology.
- The light microscope (LM) can show tissues magnified up to 1,000 times. As it uses visible light, tissue can be stained with different techniques which can show different structures stained in different colors.
- The transmission electron microscope (TEM), uses electrons instead of photons so can achieve larger magnifications (up to 100,000) allowing to see the same structures as the LM but at higher magnification and more detail. With electron microscopy images are always in black and white (no color stained is required).
- In the scanning electron microscope (SEM) the electron beam does not pass through the sample, but it "reflects" so that the microscope shows the surface of the biological structure.